Egypt can hold Mubarak accountable for his crimes; why can't we try George Bush?

Egypt has sought and found accountability for Hosni Mubarak's many crimes ("Life sentence against Egypt's Mubarak caps fall from war hero to convict," June 2). While this is cause for celebration in Egypt, it raises a disturbing contrast with how we handle similar matters in the U.S.

We, too, have a living head of state who committed grave crimes. As president,George W. Bushlaunched a war of aggression based on deceit. Mr. Bush's illegal war inflicted death on hundreds of thousands and injury on millions.

Wars of aggression are the supreme international war crime, as stipulated by U.S. Supreme CourtJustice Robert Jackson when he served as chief American prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals after World War II. Yet Mr. Bush has never been charged, tried or sentenced for his crimes.

Holding a president fully to account is unimaginable here. And be assured, the shameful contrast between U.S. and Egyptian standards of justice assuredly will not be mentioned by anyone anywhere in the major American media.

Why not? Perhaps media figures are afraid to disturb American illusions of superiority and exceptionalism.

How sad and ironic that the dishonor of the world's oldest democracy is illuminated by a small nation that until last month had never even held a free and fair election.

Regarding your recent article on the Egyptian presidential elections, Turkey has no claims or aspirations to be a ''model'' for the Middle East ("Slouching toward democracy," June 27). We are ready to share our experience and provide all possible support if asked, and we wish the Egyptian...

Al Eisner, in his letter, "Egyptian election is tragic" (June 29), has substituted opinion for fact when he calls the Muslim Brotherhood "a virulent anti-Semitic organization." Anti-Zionist, yes; but he provides no evidence whatsoever that it is anti-Semitic.

Since it has been determined to be absolutely necessary to overthrow the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, even though Egypt and Israel had managed to co-exist for several decades, the results are now a tragedy ("Islamist wins Egypt presidency," June 25).

The characterization by Adil E. Shamoo and Bonnie Bricker ("Egypt's hopeful path," June 7) of Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for the upcoming Egyptian presidential runoff, as a moderate is an exercise in wishful thinking. The Arabic website of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood...

In response to those who complain that President George W. Bushought to be tried for war crimes, I guess that means it is OK to bomb civilians using drones — or are you also ready to put President Barack Obama on trial?